PROCESS FOR PRODUCING METALLIC LITHIUM

摘要

This invention provides a process for producing metallic lithium, which can avoid the corrosion of apparatus materials by a chlorine gas and a molten salt of lithium carbonate, can realize the production of anhydrous lithium chloride with good efficiency, and can produce metallic lithium by a molten salt electrolytic process using the resultant anhydrous lithium chloride as a starting material in a safe and highly efficient manner. The production process comprises a step (A) of catalytically reacting lithium carbonate with chlorine gas by a dry process and a step (B) of subjecting the material for electrolysis containing anhydrous lithium chloride to molten salt electrolysis under metallic lithium production conditions. In this case, chlorine gas evolved in the molten salt electrolysis in the step (B) is utilized as chlorine gas used in the step (A), and the steps (A) and (B) are continuously carried out.